VERY ANGRY at DCL!!!RE: Air travel SOLVED:UPDATE ON PAGE 4

[BeanoC]

Kamy - Don't rule out flying in the night before if you can! Personally I would be beside myself if I was still en route to the port at 1 or 2 o'clock!! No good. Get after these people.

Heck girl, I'll get you guys a room at the Radisson Friday night and we'll all party together!

Please keep me posted on your progress. We'll get you on that ship one way or another - and you'll get the Palo ressies you want too! Keep kickin'.



'Beano'

 

[kamgen]

Thanks everyone!
We WANT to fly in on Friday night and they told us no. Now they want $127 per ticket to make the changes. We cannot afford that.
I don't know what to do.

Kamy

 

[Señor Ferrari]

I'm sorry you're so frustrated, but I'm wondering why you are worrying about luggage when you get to the airport. Doesn't DCL take care of this when you purchase the air through them? If your flight is even an hour late, you should really be able to get off the plane and to the bus and then to the port in plenty of time to make the ship.

Just to throw out another point of view, I think that if you were to offer me a free cruise on which I might not be able to get my first choice of a spa or Palo reservation, but my cruise and airfare are paid for, I think I'd take it and be very happy about it. October 12 makes this a 7-day cruise? If so, there are many more reservation times for both the spa and Palo, so you still may be able to get something close to what you want. I think that it's highly unlikely that you'll miss the ship, and that if you're going to be late, that they'll probably even hold it for a bit since they booked your transport. I don't know, call me a glass-is-half-full type of guy, but I think you should consider yourself lucky and don't let this potential complication ruin your whole trip.

(Putting on my asbestos suit for the flames that are sure to follow)

 

[4nana]

Kamgen...
Hoping it all works out 4u....hang in there.


Senor Ferrari....LOL
Putting on my asbestos suit for the flames that are sure to follow.

 

[kamgen]

Senor- I will not flame you. I remember the two of us voicing our dissatisfaction with the DVC member cruise a while back.

I am HAPPY I won the cruise and I am EXCITED to be going regardless of Palo or Spa ressies. Still, this is NOT a free trip. We have to pay for all the stuff other people pay for onboard and since they only gave us a 3 month window to "use the cruise or lose it" , it was NOT in our budget. Still, we are making it work and looking forward to it.

I realize that we may make the ship on time, BUT if we get there too late we won't get lunch and have time to do ressies and these are things that we look forward to.
Plus we are traveling with two kids who have never cruised, so they will be frazzled as well.

I know that the flight may not arrive. Based on the last 3 times we have flown DTW-MCO and based on my experience as a former flight attendant, the odds are that we will not leave on time. As for luggage, we don't have to do anything at MCO, but we do have to get off the plane, take the monorail to the terminal, get to the bus and hope it is ready to leave.
It is just way too stressful to start your vacation this way.
JMHO.

I am hoping this will work out, but right now I am just soooo upset about it. It is not the magical vacation we imagined. And DCL has me completely disheartened.

Thanks to everyone for letting me vent.

Kamy

 

[BeanoC]

Kamy - I will NOT let you get disheartened about this cruise! We have all been waiting too long and looking forward to it too much!

Keep fighting for a better flight time. Call back again and again until you get a CM who can help you. If you end up on the later flight, convince yourself that you will get to the ship in plenty of time... you're not gonna miss the ship! Palo and spa ressies may start to fill up, I realize that. But it'll work out! Email me and I'll give you my cell #. Then if you're late coming in, call me and I'll see if I can have concierge make ressies for you. I don't know if they'll do it, but I will sure as heck try for you! I can always make the ressies in my name, then after you guys arrive, we can go up to Palos and the spa together - I'll cancel my ressies, and you can then re-book the same times in your name!

There's always a way... How many times do I have to tell you that this will be a great cruise?



'Beano'

 

[kamgen]

Beano- you are the best...I am in tears.

I hope it works out and I will keep my fingers crossed. Tim is on the phone with them again now.

Kamy

 

[disney6]

How frustrating! I feel very sorry for you - I'd be a mess about it also!

Last time we cruised we made Palo's reservations for my parents (different cabin no.) and it was fine. I'd take Beano up on his(or her, sorry I don't know!) offer and just have him make reservations in your name and cabin no. Worth a try but lets sprinkle some pixie dust your way and hope it doesn't come to that!

 

[bnickle3]

Here's my 3 cents worth (the extra cent is for the new unsolicited opinion surcharge)...SOMEONE paid for the trip....I doubt Disney is out any money. The circumstances of your winning the trip in no way diminishes your value as a customer. You're not complaining because your docs were not ingraved gold-leaf. You're complaining because the service you are receiving is sub-standard, and the travel arrangements are not cohesive with the embarkation time of the ship. I agree with the previous posters who advised to keep complaining up the ladder till you get someone who will take this seriously. Just remember to remain calm and collected. I know it's easy for me to become increasingly agitated when dealing with stuff like this, and the bottom dweller on the other end of the phone, already ignoring my complaint, totally tunes me out as my anger takes over. Keep on this, and good luck. And don't buy into the mindset that because you won this trip you're not entitled to the same quality of service as those who paid out of their own pockets. In the words of SNL's motivational speaker Jack Handy...You're Smart enough, You're Handsome enough, and gosh darn it, people like you. ( hee hee)

 

[gottaluvdisney]

I have to put in my two cents too....sorry.....
Yes, you did win the cruise - which has to be at least a $4, 000 or even higher prize value. However, I don't think they are treating you any differently because you are a prize winner. I also don't feel that they are treating you with sub-standard service.

All flight information is included on the website and in the brochure (I hope they at least gave you a brochure when you won the prize to refer to) - that is where I got the information when I advised you about the flight options last week.

You didn't say, but by looking at your flight times it seems to be a non-stop flight which is excellent. (as they don't gty non-stop flights) If I were you I would just go with the flight they have and not worry about the 'what-if' scenarios and enjoy your cruise.

 

[kamgen]

Nope, never got a brochure.

The thing that is sub-standard about the service is that we are being treated rudely and being given false information.

We were told we would get to give them preferences, we weren't, we were told that we would get information in the mail, we weren't. I am tired of this.

Sorry some of you don't see this. I love Disney and DCL and have always been treated great, till today. When it happens to you, you will understand.

Kamy

 

[shmoogrrrl]

Originally posted by BeanoC
and you'll get the Palo ressies you want too! Keep kickin'.

Sounds like you all are on the same trip as each other... I don't know f it is ethical or even possible, but if she knows her room number beforehand, can you make her reservations for things? When we sailed with my parents, we all split up and made reservations for each other at the various things. We didn't have a wee one at the time, so I don't know what they ask for at Flounders.

Kathy

 

[zurgswife]

I'd look into the on time percentage of the flight in question...It might help in your arguement to say well this flight is late 70% of the time...

Just a thought..

 

[mrsltg]

Kamy I am so sorry that they are being so hard on you. I can't believe that they find it acceptable to have people flying in just a few hours before departure time!

And for all those who think that she should just be greatful to win this prize, try to keep in mind that the "tax man cometh", and she's going to owe taxes on the cost of the prize.... wow, what a deal!

I hope that this works out for you and your family. You certainly deserve a vacation after all of this!

Erin

 

[jlmcantwait]

Kamgen--
The 7 means the flight is 70-79% ON TIME.....not late.

 

[Señor Ferrari]

Originally posted by mrsltg
And for all those who think that she should just be greatful to win this prize, try to keep in mind that the "tax man cometh", and she's going to owe taxes on the cost of the prize.... wow, what a deal!

When you purchase a cruise, you pay taxes as well, plus the cost of the cruise. What are the taxes, 10%? Probably less? The taxes on our last cruise were $42.35 for the cruise, $17.00 for the air (per person). For a 7-night cruise, yes, I'd say that is a deal.

I'm not trying to discount or excuse rude behavior or bad customer service, as I don't think that there is an excuse for either. My point was/is that I'd be willing to put up with a later flght if it meant I got to cruise for the cost of the tax. I would tend to think that in the four years of its existence, the cruise line has booked air for passengers from Detroit, and that they don't encounter people missing the ship very often, if at all.

 

[Bob Noble]

Not sure how this ol tax thing got started but I think the meaning of tax was as in gift tax, not sales tax. Technically any big give away like this will be automatically noted to the IRS and believe me they will treat this like income.

 

[kamgen]

I appreciate everyone's insights, advice, and encouragement.

I guess to sum it up, I am not too afraid of missing the ship (I am a little nervous about it), I am more upset about missing the ENJOYMENT OF EMBARKATION. Ya know, the waiting in line for the countdown, the entrance, the lunch buffets, the ressie scramble, and relaxing in the hot tub BEFORE the safety drill.

JMHO.

Yes, I am happy I am going, but I am entitled to be upset about poor customer service and ignorance on the part of DCL regarding flights...not just mine...a lot of people's flights.

As for taxes, we don't pay the taxes for the cruise (port and govt charges) we have to pay on the total cost of the prize, as if you won ANY prize over $500.

Thanks.

Kamy

 

[Rootee]

Kamy, this is the Western itinerary, right? Well, not to deliberately add to your concern (I'm so sorry), another bit of information that the rep at DCL was ABSOLUTELY INCORRECT about was that if need be they would get you to the first port. This CANNOT happen - it is totally out of DCL's hands.

Per documents (The Passport to the Disney Magic - p. 4, bottom) that you received:

"The United States Passenger Services Act requires Disney Cruise Line to embark and disembark its Guests at the same US port. Therefore, we regret that we are UNABLE to allow Guests to board in our FIRST PORT OF CALL, Key West."

Good Luck

Ruth

 

[pal2pluto]

I really hesitated before joining in "the fray", in fact, I've started this message 3 times . But after seeing that your concerns are mainly about those hours on departure day....those fun activities that you will miss.....please, please don't be angry at me......I just really hope that missing those--what 4 hours or so--won't wreck your whole week! Seven days.....incredible! I remember when you found out about winning.....I could feel the excitement here! Try to remember that the change in latitude will only change your attitude if you let it .

Yes, they should have handled a lot of things better. And I am sorry for that. Hopefully someone has apologized to you about that. I know, for me, that sometimes I just need to hear someone apologize for the mistake to make me relax.

I am so excited and jealous !!!! Have a great trip!!!